May 8, 2016 We Care Because We Pray 7 th Sunday of Easter www.ssaparish.com Forbes Park, Makati Feastday Our Lady of Fatima Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, three Portuguese children received apparitions of Our Lady at Cova da Iria, near Fatima, a city 110 miles north of Lisbon. Mary asked the children to pray the rosary for world peace, for the end of World War I, for sinners and for the conversion of Russia. The third visionary, Lucia dos Santos, became a Carmelite nun and died in 2005 at the age of 97. Mary gave the children three secrets. Since Francisco died in 1919 and Jacinta the following year, Lucia revealed the first secret in 1927, concerning devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The second secret was a vision of hell. Pope John Paul II directed the Holy See s Secretary of State to reveal the third secret in 2000; it spoke of a bishop in white who was shot by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows into him. Many people linked this to the assassination attempt against Saint John Paul II in St. Peter s Square on May 13, 1981. The feast of Our Lady of Fatima was approved by the local bishop in 1930; it was added to the Church s worldwide calendar in 2002. American Catholic.org Santuario de San Antonio Parish Office Tel. nos. 8438830-31
Parish Bulletin FROM THE DESK OF THE PPC PRESIDENT Edmund Lim, KHS We welcome the Marian month of May with our veneration to Our Lady. Continuing our annual tradition, children are invited to offer flowers to Our Lady during the 6:00pm daily masses. The Flores de Mayo procession will be on May 31 st, 5pm at the parish grounds. It was only 11 months ago when we installed the Relic of St. Anthony into our church. Like previous Fiestas, our ever hardworking local Catholic Womens League will be spearheading different outreach programs such as Pan de San Antonio (libreng almusal), Mass Wedding, Mass Confirmation, Mass Baptism and Medical Mission. Fundraising efforts for this year s Fiesta is focused on reconstructing the architectural as built plans of the Church which are no longer available and all other physical structures in our Parish compound through digital scanning. These scans will allow us to determine areas requiring structural restoration. It is our vision to extend all structures of our parish for the next 60 years. We enjoin all parishioners to help us secure the future of our church through donation pledges in the Novena envelopes and sponsorships for our Novena Masses and the Fiesta Mass. Our Fiesta Masses to St Anthony shall commence on June 4th. Procession for Saint Anthony will be on June 12th. The Fiesta Mass and Fiesta Dinner will be on June 13th. We invite all parishioners to join us in our outreach programs, Novena masses, Procession in honor of Saint Anthony, Fiesta mass and Fiesta dinner and all the other Fiesta activities as we pray for our community. May St. Anthony continue to pray for us all... Edmund Lim, KHS PPC President 2
May 8, 2016 A Eucharistic Community of Families Guided by the Virtues of St. Anthony Love of Solitude by Hannah Roa Everyone knows that Solitude is about being alone, but what else is it all about? Why would Saint Anthony choose a life in solitude when we know that being alone could be lonely, boring, depressing and maybe even make you go crazy. St. Anthony had riches growing up for his family was wealthy, but he had a calling in his heart to know more and more about our Lord, Jesus Christ. So at an early age he asked to enter into the Monastery. When his father died he sold his inheritance and all his possessions and gave them to the poor. He took the Bible reading, (Matt. 19:21) If you want to be perfect, go sell all you have, give to the poor and come follow me, seriously which was said by a deacon during a church service and considered every word he heard as directed to him personally. He wanted to live as Jesus and His disciples lived, a life of poverty. Because of his quest for spiritual excellence and perfection he chose to live in solitude. In his quest for spiritual closeness to the Lord he learned quietness, humility, silence, continuous prayers, asceticism and keeping vigil from examples of ascetics he met; all the virtues that are connected in living a life in spiritual perfection in solitude. He sought out these virtues in every person and learned from them, not imitating one but learning lessons from many. From years of practicing and learning about the virtues he taught others his wisdom, to meditate on the scriptures not to rigidly interpret them. With living the life in solitude he found peace in the Lord and went on to teach and guide other monks through his examples. He may have sold his riches and not marry, but in the end he received more than he gave. For the land and properties that now belong to the monasteries of St. Anthony greatly exceeds the 300 acres he had given up and now has thousands of monksons in every generation who call him father. Because of his determination to know more of our Lord and follow Him, his love of solitude had made his name eternal that we call him St. Anthony the Great, a symbol of a life of solitude, meditations and prayers and a symbol of the life of a monk with all its virtues and spiritualities. So when you find yourself wanting to know more about the Lord look at the life of St. Anthony and follow in his footsteps. Don t be scared of being in solitude for who knows you may one day be as great as he. Santuario de San Antonio Pastoral Team Fr. Baltazar A. Obico, OFM, Guardian, Parochial Vicar Fr. Reu Jose C. Galoy, OFM Vicar Provincial, Parish Priest, Vicar and Busar Fr. Efren Jimenez, OFM - Guest Master Fr. Jesus Galindo, OFM Makati Medical Center Chaplain Fr. Serge Santos, OFM - Resident Friar Fr. Laurian Janicki, OFM - Resident Friar RDIP - PB Editorial Team & General Information Suzette H. Gatmaitan Head, RDIP-PB Marilou Consing Editor in Chief Javier Luis Gomez - Assistant Editor Earl Leonard Sebastian - Assistant Editor Hannah Roa - Assistant Editor Jonathan Cruz - Assistant Editor Marie Tycangco - Assistant Editor Jeannie Bitanga Website Administrator Edward Lu Art & Design Colorplus Production Group Corp. Production Santuario de San Antonio Parish Center Office Tel. nos. 8438830-31 Email: ssap_info@yahoo.com Website: www.ssaparish.com Website email: webi@ssaparish.com Foundation website: www.santuariodesanantonio.org Parish Pastoral Council Edmund Lim, KHS President Cristina Teehankee Vice President Suzette H. Gatmaitan Secretary 3
Parish Bulletin St. Anthony s Virtue Love of Solitude By Deacon Luis Rivilla, Jr, OFS Inquirer I have been asked to share my thoughts on St. Anthony s guiding Virtue Love of Solitude. First let me define what I understand solitude to be. For me solitude is not about aloneness or loneliness. When I see the word solitude what immediately comes to mind is Jesus and his desert experience. Jesus spent 40 days in the desert not to shut the world but to reenergize, refocus and strengthen his resolve to continue his Ministry. Many more Gospel times recall Jesus going off by himself or with his disciples to pray. Solitude was very much a part of Jesus. As an Inquirer in the Order of Franciscan Seculars (OFS) I am learning about the Order and its founder. It is no surprise that St. Francis daily embraced solitude. He often would sneak out at nights to be alone in prayer with the Lord. Like Jesus he sought solitude, at times by himself and sometimes with his disciples. Knowing these, how do I experience solitude in my life and relationships? Having been a permanent Deacon for 21 years, my life has been focused on Ministry of one kind or another. What I have learned is that I do not function alone. My Ministry has taught me that I belong to a community, the Body of Christ. St. Paul in His first letter to the Corinthians 1Cor 12 best exemplifies what I mean. As members of the Body of Christ, we are each given gifts and graces to carry out our functions depending on our role in that Body. Each one is unique and each one is necessary for the well being of the Body. Not one more important than the other. So solitude for me is not about being alone or aloneness. It is about getting away from the distractions of the world. It calls for self reflection and self evaluation. It means working in and with a community, the Body of Christ. Lastly, it reminds me that I need others to be made whole, and that within community I complement others as others complement me to bring about this wholeness. 4
May 8, 2016 Serving the Lord together by John & Wilma Huang God calls and invites His children to serve him in different ways. For those individuals who have chosen the married life as their vocation, serving Him through active participation in a Church ministry is indeed a special calling. When Jesus Christ instructed husbands to love their wives just as He loved the Church, this love was not purely meant for the benefit of the married couple alone. Our Lord also wants married couples to share their love to the church or community where they belong and more importantly, to offer their love and service to a much important master, the one Lord. Serving our Lord through a church ministry not only requires a deep commitment, but more importantly, humility, selflessness and service. As with all earthly organizations, there will be high and low points that can contribute to frustration or even disillusionment. Occasionally, couples may feel that they are doing all the heavy lifting in their ministries and lose sight of the sacred purpose. However, it is important for couples to realize not to rely on themselves in dealing with frustration and disappointment. To sustain and constantly experience God s love and inspiration, both husband and wife have to create their own individual spaces on a daily basis and establish their own personal and loving relationship with God. This space and personal relationship with God will help them to carry on in serving Him through their respective ministries despite difficulties and tribulations. John is a Eucharistic Minister and a member of the Men of the Sacred Heart. Wilma co-heads the Altar Environment Ministry and is a member of the Catholic Women s League-SSAP Chapter. 5
Parish Bulletin PROFILES OF COLLEGE SCHOLARS SSAP SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (SY 2016-2017) The SSAP Scholarship Program is in need of sponsors (full or partial) for the following students for SY 2016-2017. Please call the Parish Office for more details. Jonah Mae Cariño 18 yrs. old Tondo Manila 3 rd Yr. of 4 years, BS Admin. Major in Banking & Finance Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) GWA 1.82 Maria Andrea Celestino 19 yrs. old Cavite City 4 th Yr., BS Information Technology Cavite State University GWA 1.79 John Nikko Borja 20 yrs. old Sta. Ana Manila 5 th Year, BS Electronics & Communication Engineering Technological University of the Philippines (TUP) GWA 2.15 Joselle Bondoc 17 yrs. old Makati City 3 rd Yr. of 4 Years, BS Information Technology Jose Rizal University (JRU) GWA 2.52 Tuition: P 3,000/year Transpo: (P70/day) P 14,000/year Food: P 10,000/year TOTAL: P 27,000 Tuition: P 20,000/year Transpo: (P52/day) P 10,400/year Food: P 10,000/year TOTAL: P 40,400 Tuition: P 20,000/year Transpo: (P120/day) P 4,800/year Food: P 10,000/year Total: P 34,000 Tuition: P 60,000/year Transpo:(P50/day) P 10,000/year Food: P 10,000/year Total: P 80,000 Born to a tenant farmer family in Pangasinan, Mai is the youngest of 4 siblings. Her farmer father passed away in 2012. Mai came to Manila in 2014 after she graduated from High School. She took the exams at PUP and passed easily. She lives with her 27-year old sister in a boarding house in the better part of Tondo. Mai s 2 unmarried siblings support their mother (who lives in Pangasinan) and Mai s school and living expenses. Mai is a very personable young lady, an honor student in grade school and high school, and a Dean s lister in college. She is taking up Banking and Finance because she is very good at numbers. She is driven, bent on being a bank executive one day, yet exudes a warm and kind personality. She promises to come to our Saturday meetings and perform her chores in parish involvement. If accepted as a scholar, she eagerly looks forward to improving her English and learning moral and spiritual values that will enhance her character. 6 Andrea s mother was only 14 years old when she gave birth to her first-born Andrea. Her father was 23 years old. Andrea has 4 younger siblings. Andrea strikes me as a very positive and self-motivated young lady. She loves to read and listen to music; she taught herself to be computer-literate even before she entered college. She is taking up BS Information Technology because she feels there is a great need for this in today s business world. Andrea promises to attend our Saturday meetings and do her parish involvement diligently. Referred by Ella Tan, head of Santuario de San Antonio s Hospital Ministry and Nimfa, social worker. They got to know each other last year when Andrea s youngest brother was hospitalized at PGH for Congenital Hydrocephalus with Ventriculitis. He passed away last December. Ella Tan helped Andrea find a sponsor for her studies last year when she was about to stop because their family had no more money. John Nikko Borja is the 3 rd of 5 siblings, 2 of whom finished college. His father is a CCTV operator in PAGCOR. His oldest brother works at McDonald s Call Center (receiving and dispatching orders for McDonald s chains). The second child is presently jobless. Nikko is applying for a scholarship in his last year of college to ease his father s financial burdens as there are 2 of them still in college. He is determined to finish his course, BSCE, this coming school year, take the board exams which he hopes to pass with God s help, and find a good job so that he can help his father pay back his mounting debts. Nikko s family is very churchoriented. His parents are active in Couples for Christ, his father is a lay minister, and Nikko and his younger brother have been altar servers since their high school days. They consider Our Lady of the Abandoned Parish as their second home as that is where their family spends their time after school and work. Referred by a driver of the Santuario de San Antonio, Ariel Bagat, seventeen year old Joselle Bondoc is the daughter of Claro and Dulce Cruzado, Makati City Hall employees. Joselle is her mother s only child from a previous relationship. She is an incoming third year college student taking up Bachelor of Science in Information Technology at the Jose Rizal University. The schooling of her younger siblings and the family s living expenses can no longer accommodate her tuition requirements. Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all. -Aristotle
May 8, 2016 PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK CALENDAR OF MINISTRIES FOR THE WEEK Meldy Cojuangco David Lu Connie Gomez Fr. Hugh Zurat, OFM Marilou Arteficio Victoria Kate de Venecia Ma. Pilar Oledan Iggy Clavecilla Africa and Cecile Reynoso Maxima Amah Sy Aurora Gonzalez Tommy Dy Buncio Naning Bagabaldo Remedios Maceda Berris Cedric Castro Pilar del Gallego Nena Jalandoni Victoriano Chung Erlinda Miranda-Oledan Zwei Lopez Gadi Shallouh Bancil Swinnerton Francisco Tankiang Cynthia Arms Felicisimo Alcantara Rosario de Leon Tobias Gloria Syjuco Raffy Chan Edric Co Peter Soo Chito San Jose Nancy Imperial Johnny Lopez Lisa Alvendia Letty Ligon Norma J. Carlos Sony Lopez Gonzalez Shaina Bhudhrani Gia Gonzalez Orlando Bernardo Rolando Sotaso Cecilio Hidalgo Victorina Leus Iya Ocampo Bernadette Gonzali Guillermo Profeta Dra. Ofelia Adapon Soldedad T. Consing If you want a name added or deleted, contact Bernadette at the Parish office tel. nos. 8438830-32. SUNDAY - MAY 8 MONDAY - MAY 9 Program at St. Francis * 3:00PM - OFS Formation TUESDAY - MAY 10 Program at St.Francis * 9:00AM - CWL FREE Breakfast and Clinic * 9:00AM - JPIC Hospital Ministry PGH Visitation * 2:00PM - Health Care Ministry Dancercise Open to All Parishioners * 4:00PM - Marian Cenacle Group Prayer Meeting WEDNESDAY - MAY 11 Program at St.Francis THURSDAY - MAY 12 Program at St.Francis * 9:00AM - Health Care Ministry Visitation at Rizal Medical Center, Pasig City FRIDAY - MAY 13 Program at St.Francis * 2:00PM - Health Care Ministry Dancercise Open to All Parishioners * 7:00PM - Household Help Charismatic Prayer Meeting * 8:00PM - SYA Pay Day Prayers * 9:00PM - Tig-Awit Choir Practice SATURDAY - MAY 14 * 2:00PM - YSA Sports Meet * 2:00PM - CCD First Holy Communion Mass * 4:00PM - VOSA Choir * 4:00PM - LUKE 18 Prayer Meeting LEASE / SALE FORBES DASMA URDA SAN LO BEL AIR MAGA CONNIE PERIQUET GATMAITAN CYNTHIA GATMAITAN MENCHACA TELS.: 8130875 8672227 CELL (0917)8109379 3/F SEDCCO BLDG., RADA ST., LEGASPI VILL., MAKATI CITY OUTSIDE VIEWING PACKAGES AVAILABLE Globe 0915-5283835 Smart 0918-9901800 7
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